Flasher type traffic signal



Jan. 17, 1950 D. D. GRlsslNGER FLASHER TYPE TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Feb. 27, l948 2 She'ets-Sh'eet 1 [liti-511 mvENToR Dain-ez D. @mism-n.70'.l

l BY ATTORNEYS Jan. 17, 195o D. D. GRIS'SINGER 2,495,098

FLASHER TYPE TRAFFIC vSIGNAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 27, 1948 .L lNvENToR v DanielD- Grfisnger Patented Jan. 17, 1950 FLASHER TYPE TRAFFIC SIGNAL Daniel D. Grissnger, Wellington, Ohio, assignor to Cleveland Steel Products Corporation, Cleveland,"hio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 27, 1948, Serial No. 11,642

11 Claims. l

This invention relates to flasher type traflic signals adapted to be used for various purposes such as directing attention to highway obstructions such as safety zones or bridge pillars or to roadside signs such as stop and speed limit signs, as a caution signal at road intersections, and other analogous purposes.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a flasher mechanism that is adapted to be used interchangeably in signs and signals such as above referred to, that is quickly and easily removable from its housing so that it can be quickly replaced by another mechanism when in need of lrepair and to provide an illuminating unit which is easily removable and replaceable independently of the flasher mechanism so that the labor incident to the servicing of the signs and signals is reduced to a minimum.

With the above and other objects in view the invention may be said to comprise the flasher traffic signal device as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appendedclaims, together with such variations and modifications thereof as will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a stop sign to which the flasher device of the present invention is applied;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view oi the sign on a scale somewhat larger than Fig. l with a portion of the housing cover broken away to show the flasher mechanism within the housing;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the same scale as Fig. 2 that is taken on the line indicated at 3-3 in Fig. 1; .f'

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line indicated at 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view showing the illuminating unit disconnected from the flasher mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line indicated at vvl---I in Fig. 5;

Fig. 'l is a fragmentary vertical section take on the line indicated at 1-1 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a four-way signal such as is used at cross roads;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken on the line indicated on the line 9-9 in Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a flasher embodying the invention mounted on the top of a post.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the flasher mechanism of the present invention is mounted in a, housing I that is preferably of rectangular form having an elongated tubular body provided with side walls 2, a front wall 3 and a rear wall 4. In Figs. 1 to 4 in which the invention is shown applied to a stop sign, a signboard 5 is attached by suitable means to the front of the housing which may be part of a post or other supporting standard. The side walls 2 may be provided with flanges 6 to which the front wall 3 is attached and which provide means for convenient attachment of the signboard 5 by means of bolts 1 extending through the flanges 6. The front wall 3 ofthe housing has vertically spaced windows 8 which may be in the form of round lenses of a suitable color secured in openings in the wall 3 by means of retaining rings 9 held in place bybolts I0. The signboard 5 is provided with openings II which register with the windows 8. The housing I has a rigidly attached bottom I2 and its upper end is closed by a detach-able cover I3 which fits over the open top of the housing and which has a central opening I4 that is covered by a Ventilating cap I5 supported a short distance above the top of the cover I3 by means of supporting brackets I6 attached to the inside of the cover and extending through the opening I4.

The flasher mechanism is mounted in a frame that has a sliding lit in the housing I and which can be readily lowered into the housing or lifted out of the housing. This frame is of a length but slightly less than that of the housing and comprises straight parallel side bars I1 which may be in the form of flat straps and a cross bar I8 that is rigidly attached to the side bars I'I. The cross bar I8 is spaced from the lower end of the frame and provides a support for a rotatable cylinder I9 and a cylinder driving motor 20. The flasher frame also provides support for a detachable illuminating unit 2| which carries incandescent lamps 22 that are positioned Within the cylinder I9. The motor 20 is carried by a frame 23 that is bolted to the cross bar I8 and this frame also carries a gear housing 24 that is positioned beneath the bar I8 centrally thereof and contains suitable reduction gearing that is interposed between the motor 20 and the cylinder I9. As herein illustrated, the motor 20 has a horizontal shaft 25 that carries a worm 26 that meshes with a worm gear 21 within the housing 24. The gear 21 is xed to a short vertical shaft 28 to which the cylinder I9 is attached. The cylinder I9 has a closure disc 29 at its lower end that is provided with a downwardly projecting hollow hub 30 that is secured to the upper end of the sh-aft 28 by suitable means such as a threaded connection. The hub 30 extends through a central opening 3| in the cross bar I8 which is of a diameter larger than the hub 30 so as not to interfere with rotation of the cylinder. The disc 29 is provided with spaced Ventilating openings 32 adjacent its periphery. The cylinder I9 is provided with longitudinally spaced windows 33 which are positioned at the same level as the windows 8 of the housing and which are angularly offset so that they successively move across the windows 8 during rotation of the cylinder.

The upper ends of the side bars I1 have inturned fianges 34 that carry upwardly projecting threaded studs 35 for attachment of a bar 36 that is a part of the illuminating unit 2I and is also the top cross bar of the flasher frame.

The bar 36 is provided adjacent its opposite ends with slots 31 extending inwardly from its opposite edges which receive the studs 35. The bar 36 is clamped against the flanges 34 of the side bars I1 by wing nuts 38 on the studs 35. The oppositely disposed slots 31 permit the bar 36 to be detached `from the cylinder-supporting frame by a turning movement about a central vertical axis when the wing nuts are loosened.

A disc 39 is rotatably supported on a short vertical tubular connecting post 40 that is attached to the bar 36 midway between its ends. `The disc 39 serves as a cover for the cylinder I9, has a peripheral flange 4I that fits over the upper end of the cylinder I9 and is also provided with spaced Ventilating holes 42 adjacent its periphery to allow free flow of air from the interior of the cylinder.

The illuminating unit 2| includes parallel, vertical bars or straps 43 attached at their upper ends to the underside of the discv39 and providing support for spaced lamp sockets 44 and 45, the socket 44 being attached to the lower ends of' the straps 43 and the socket 45 being mounted between the straps above the socket 44. The sockets 44 and 45 are positioned to support the incandescent lamps 22 in alignment with the windows 33 of the cylinder I9.

For supplying electric current to the cylinder driving motor and the lamps 22, a suitable conductor cable 46 extends through a side wall of the housing and supplies current to suitable sockets thatreceive plugs 41 and 48. A flexible conductor cable 49 is connected to the motor 20 and extends along one of the side bars I1 to which it is attached by suitable means such as clips 50, the cable 49 having a free upper end portion to which the plug 48 is attached. A'-

flexible conductor cable 52 is attached to one of the straps 43 of the illuminating unit by suitable means such as clips 53, and this cable is attached to the sockets 44 and 45, extends through the tubular post 40, and has a free upper end portion to which the plug 41 is attached.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawing, the side bars I1 of the flasher frame have a sliding fit in diagonally opposite corners of' the housing I so that the flasher may be readily lowered into the open top of the housing or lifted out of the housing. The lower ends of the side bars I1 of the asher frame rest upon the bottom of the housing and the upper ends of the bars are adjacent the top of the housing as shown in Fig. 3 when the flasher is inserted in the housing. If the motor or cylinder driving mechanism is in need of repair, the entire flasher may be detached from the housing. If one or both of the lamps are burned out, the illuminating unit 2l can be removed without disturbing the cylinder or its driving mechanism.

Figs. 8 and 9 show the invention applied to a four-way signal such as commonly employed at road intersections. In this modification the housing Ia may be of the same size as the housing illustrated in Figs. l to 4 so that it is adapted to receive an identical flasher mechanism, the housing Ia being provided with windows 8a in each of its four sides. The cylinder I9 rotating within the housing Ia will move the windows 33 successively across the windows 8a in each of the four sides of the housing, flashing the lights through the windows 8a in each wall in exactly the same way as in the modification first described. The housing Ia may be provided with suitable means, such as a bail 55, for suspending it from an overhead support.

In Fig. 10 of the drawings, the invention is shown applied to a signal of the type employed at the front of a safety zone or other highway obstruction. In this instance the housing Ib is provided with windows 8b in its front wall which aline with the windows of the cylinder. The housing Ib may be attached in any suitable manner to a rigid support` such as a post 56. As herein shown, the housing is attached to the upper end of the post 56 by means of a nut 51 that engages screw threads at the upper end of the post 56.

For servicing signals embodying the present invention, surplus flasher mechanisms may be carried in stock so that in the event of failure of the motor of any of the flasher mechanisms, the damaged mechanism may be quickly and easily removed from its housing and replaced by another mechanism. Surplus illuminating units may also be carried in stock so that in the event that a light burns out in one of the signals the illuminating unit may be removed and refltted with new bulbs or replaced with a unit having new light bulbs. By providing interchangeable and replaceable flasher mechanisms and illuminating units very little time and no skilled labor is required to put the individual signals in working condition, and all repairs may be made at a shop equipped for that purpose.

It will be understood that the foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the invention is for the purpose of explanation and illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as described and claimed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A flashing trafiic signal comprising a housing having an end opening and a tubular body portion with a window intermediate its ends, a flasher mounted in the housing and removable bodily through the open end thereof, said flasher comprising a frame, a, hollow cylinder rotatably mounted in said frame, a cylinder driving motor and an illuminating unit, said cylinder being disposed substantially centrally within said tubular body and having an open end adjacent the open end of the housing and a window adapted to move across the housing window during each revolution of the cylinder, said illuminating unit extending into the open end of the cylinder and being detachably connected to said frame and removable through said open end of the housing independently of said frame and cylinder, and means for supplying electric current to said motor and illuminating unit comprising two sockets within the housing adjacent its end opening, conductors carried by said frame and said detachable illuminating unit including plugs engageable in said sockets.

2. A ilashing traic signal comprising an elongated housing having an end opening and longitudinally spaced windows intermediate its ends,

and a ilasher mounted in the housing, said flasher comprising an elongated frame, a hollow elongated cylinder rotatably mounted in the frame,

a cylinder driving motor carried by said frame and an illuminating unit carried by said frame, said iiasher including said frame, said cylinder, said motor and said illuminating unit being removable bodily through said end opening, said cylinder having an open end facing the housing opening and longitudinally spaced angularly offset windows adapted `to successively aline with the housing Windows upon rotation of the cylinder, said illuminating unit including an elongated support extending into the open end of the cylinder and lamps carried by said support and alined with the cylinder windows, said support being detachably attached to said frame to .permit said illuminating unit to be removed through -the end opening of the housing independently of luminating unit, said frame having side bars adapted to slidingly i'lt in diagonally opposite corners of said tubular body and a cross bar rigidlyconnecting said side bars intermediate their ends, said cylinder and motor being mounted in said frame on opposite sides of said cross bar and said v cylinder being rotatably supported on said cross bar, said cylinder having an open end facing the open end of said housing and a-window adapted to aline with the housing window during revolution of the cylinder, said illuminating unit comprising a cross bar detachably connected to the ends of the side bars adjacent the open end of the housing, a support extending from said detachable bar into the open end of said cylinder and a lamp carried by said support, said illuminating unit being removable through the open end of the housing independently of the frame and cylinder.

4, A hashing trailic signal comprising an elongated housing of rectangular internal cross section having longitudinally spaced windows in a wall thereof, an elongated rectangular frame removably mounted in said housing and having side bars adapted to slidably fit in diametrically opposite corners of said housing and cross bars connecting said side bars, one of said cross bars being rigidly attached to said side bars and spaced from one end of the frame, another cross bar being detachably connected to the side bars at the opposite end of the frame, an elongated cylinder rotatably mounted on the rigidly attached cross bar and having longitudinally spaced angularly offset windows adapted to successively aline with the windows of said housing upon rotation of said cylinder, a motor supported on said rigidly attached cross bar and geared to said cylinder, an elongated frame attached to said detachable cross bar and extending into said cylinder, and longitudinally spaced lamps carried by the lastmentioned frame and alined with the windows of said cylinder.

having side bars of a length slightly less than thatof the housing and adapted to slidably t in diametrically opposite corners of said housing and to rest upon said bottom, said frame having a cross bar detachably connected to said side bars at their upper ends and a lower cross bar rigidly attached to the side bars and spaced from their lower ends, an upright elongated cylinder rotatably mounted on said lower cross bar and having an open upper end adjacent the top of the frame, said cylinder having longitudinally spaced angularly offset windows adapted to successively register with the housing windows upon rotation of the cylinder, a cylinder driving motor mounted in the frame below said rigidly connected cross bar, an elongated support attached to said detachably connected cross bar and adapted to be positioned within said cylinder, and spaced lamps carried by said support which aline with the windows of the cylinder.

6. A flasher comprising a frame having parallel side bars, a cross bar rigidly connected to the side bars near one end of the frame spaced from said end, a short shaft journaled in said cross bar, a hollow cylinder provided with a window between its ends and having one end attached to said shaft and an open end adjacent the opposite end of the frame, a motor supported on said cross bar and geared to said shaft, a cross bar detachably secured to said side bars and extending. across the open end of said cylinder, a supporting member attached to said detachable cross bar and extending into said cylinder and a lamp'carried by said member, said cross bar supporting member and lamp being removable as a unit from said frame and cylinder.

7. A flashing tranic signal comprising a housing having an end opening and a tubular body with a window intermediate its ends and a flasher -mounted in said housing, said Ilasher comprising a frame supported in a xed position within said housing with an end portion adjacent said opening, a hollow cylinder rotatably mounted in said frame, a cylinder driving motor carried by said frame and an illuminating unit carried by said frame, said flasher including said frame, said cylinder, said motor and said illuminating unit being removable bodily through said end opening of the housing, said cylinder having ari open end alined with and facing the end opening of said housing and a Window adapted to move across the housing window during each revolution of the cylinder, said illuminating unit comprising a supporting member detachably connected to said end portion of said frame and extending into the open end of said cylinder, and a lamp carried by said member and positioned within the cylinder, said illuminating unit including said supporting member and lamp being removable through said end opening of the housing independently of said frame, cylinder and motor.

8, A flashing traine signal comprising a housing having an upright tubular body with a window intermediate its ends, an open upper end and a detachable closure for said open end, and a flasher within said housing comprising a frame slidably tting in said tubular body and supported therein with its upper end adjacent the open upper end of said housing, a hollow upright cylinder rotatably mounted in said frame, a cylinder driving motor carried by said frame and an illuminating unit carried by said frame, said flasher including said frame, said cylinder, said motor and said illuminating unit being removable bodily through said open upper end of said housing, said cylinder having an open upper end and a window adapted to move across the housing window during each revolution of said cylinder, said illuminating unit comprising a supporting member detachably secured to the upper end of said frame and extending into the open end of said cylinder, and a lamp carried by said supporting member, said illuminating unit including said supporting member and lamp being removable through the open upper end of said housing independently of said frame, said cylinder and said motor.

9. A flashing traic signal comprising a housing having an upright tubular body with a window intermediate its ends, an open upper end and a detachable closure for said open end, and a flasher within said housing comprising a frame slidably iitting in said tubular body and supporting therein with its upper end adjacent the open upper end of said housing, a hollow upright cylinder rotatably mounted in said frame, a cylinder driving motor carried by said frame and an illuminating unit carried by said frame, said flasher including said frame, said cylinder, said motor and said illuminating unit being removable bodily through said open upper end of said housing, said cylinder having an open upper end and a window adapted to move across the housing window during each revolution of said cylinder, said illuminating unit comprising a bar detachably secured at its ends to the upper end of said frame and extending across the open upper end of said cylinder, a support extending downwardly from said bar into said cylinder and a lamp carried by said support, said illuminating unit comprising said bar, said support and said lamp being removable bodily through the open upper end of said housing independently of said frame, said cylinder and said motor.

10. A flashing traffic signal comprising a tubular body of rectangular internal cross section having an open end and a window intermediate its ends, a frame having parallel side bars that slidably t in diagonally opposite corners of said tubular body, a hollow cylinder rotatably mounted in said frame between said side bars and parallel therewith, said cylinder having a window adapted to intermittently aline with the window of said housing during rotation of said cylinder, a motor carried by the frame and geared to said cylinder, and a lamp within said cylinder, said frame with the motor, cylinder and lamp being removable bodily through the open end of said tubular body.

.11. A flashing trame signal comprising a housing having an elongated tubular body open at one end and of rectangular internal cross section and a detachable closure for said open end, said tubular body having longitudinally spaced windows, an elongated frame having parallel side bars which slidably t in diagonally opposite corners of said tubular body, an elongated hollow cylinder rotatably mounted in said frame between said side bars and parallel therewith, said cylinder having longitudinally spaced angularly offset windows, each adapted to intermittently aline with a window of the housing upon rotation of said cylinder, a motor carried by said frame and geared to said cylinder, and lamps within the cylinder alined with the windows thereof, said frame, motor, cylinder and lamps being removable as a unit through the open end of said tubular body.

DANIEL D. GRISSINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,313,445 Wright et al. Aug. 19, 1919 1,749,390 Olafson Mar. 4, 1930 1,834,882 Vaughn Dec. 1, 1931 2,009,258 Griswold July 23, 1935 2,097,056 Briechle Oct. 26, 1937 

